A work machine, such as a track-type work machine, is typically supported and propelled by an undercarriage assembly which includes an endless track chain having a plurality of interconnected articulating components or links. The undercarriage assembly further includes a drive sprocket, a front idler roller, and a rear idler roller, around each of which the track chain is advanced.
In order to create the tension necessary to keep the track chain from derailing from the drive sprocket and the idler rollers, a slack adjustment mechanism such as a coiled spring is often used. In particular, the coiled spring urges the front idler roller in a direction away from the rear idler roller thereby creating tension on the track chain. Over a period of time, a number of the components associated with the undercarriage assembly, such as the track chain and the idler rollers, begin to wear thereby creating slack in the track chain. In order to remove the slack from the track chain, it is necessary to increase the tension of the track chain. Such an increase in the tension is generally accomplished by manually injecting or otherwise inserting a material, such as grease, into the slack adjustment mechanism associated with the undercarriage assembly.
The use of such slack adjustment mechanisms has a number of drawbacks associated therewith. For example, manual injection of grease into the slack adjustment mechanism may be a laborious task thereby decreasing the efficiency associated with the work machine. Moreover, the endless track chain may inadvertently be operated for a period of time with slack therein. This is true since the endless track chain may be operated with slack therein from the point in time in which slack is first introduced into the endless track chain until the point in time in which the tension is manually increased. It should be appreciated that operation of the undercarriage assembly with slack present in the endless track chain increases the rate at which components associated with the undercarriage assembly wear thereby potentially reducing the useful life of the undercarriage assembly.
In addition, a number of slack adjustment mechanisms have heretofore been designed which utilize hydraulic components to maintain tension on the track chain. However, such slack adjustment mechanisms typically require constant fluid pressure from a hydraulic pump associated with the work machine thereby disadvantageously reducing the work machine's hydraulic capacity for performing work operations such as earth moving and ripping.
What is needed therefore is a recoil and slack adjustment mechanism which overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks.